SURF CITY | Sea turtles in Surf City were a huge attraction this summer.

As of June 5, close to 53,000 people had visited the new Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, roughly double the number of visitors for one year at the old hospital in Topsail Beach, according to the center’s executive director, Jean Beasley.

“I think that we were doing very well if in an entire year we were seeing 25,000 to 30,000,” she said. “Most days through this summer season we had 1,000 or more people a day during the week.”

The numbers were slightly lower on Saturdays, a popular day for locals who take advantage of shorter lines as tourists check in or out of their beach rentals.

Beasley shared the numbers with the Surf City Town Council on Tuesday night during the board’s regular meeting where she accepted a certificate from the town’s Beautification and Appearance Committee for business of the month.

This was the first summer in the new center, where sick and injured sea turtles are cared for until they can be released back into the Atlantic Ocean. It was also the first time the center charged admission — $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens and active-duty military, and $3 for children.

“We’ve learned a lot this summer,” Beasley said. “We’ve been working on our education exhibits. Those are things that we’re going to be adding to over the winter. We’ll be regrouping and talking about what worked and what didn’t work.”

After this week, the center will be open for tours on Thursdays and Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. through Christmas. After that time, the center’s board will evaluate whether to offer tours through the winter season, Beasley said.